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Gardeners' Notes:

To people fortunate enough to. live in the right climate, this must be one of the most beautiful shrubs there is.

I grew it as a tub plant and brought it in during the winter, and then tried leaving it out - to see how hardy it was. It survived -4C one year and the next year - 6C killed the top growth, but it resprouted. Later a frost of -7C killed the whole plant.

I have tried many times to strike cuttings but have so far failed - with its drought-resistant indented leaves it looks as if should be easy.

The climate in the U.K. is too dull for it to flower well, and it grows tall and straggly, but pictures on the internet show it as a wide well-shaped plant covered in flowers off and on throughout the year.

Alyogyne huegelii 'Santa Cruz' (Blue Hibiscus) - Native to south and western Australia. This evergreen shrub grows to about 6-10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide. The flowers are borne solitarily in leaf axils and hold large light blue petals.

This is a hardy and adaptable shrub, which is lime, drought and frost tolerant. It requires a well drained soil, but can be grown in sand, loam or clay soils. It can be grown in full sun, or in partial shade. Protection from strong winds is desirable. Little watering is required, especially if the plants are well mulched. Once established supplementary watering should be required only during extremely dry condition, but is tolerated provided the plants are in a well-drained position.

If unpruned Alyogyne huegelii becomes a little sparse of foliage on lower branches, and may also become straggly. It can be pruned back quite hard after flowering, or frequently and lightly during the flowering season. Pruning results in a denser, more compact, and possibly more floriferous plant. It will throw out vigorous fast-growing shoots from old wood, thus enabling it to be kept down to a small compact shrub if desired.